


The Water-Cut Path

by Tails42



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Coming of Age, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29159157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tails42/pseuds/Tails42
Summary: Coming of age is a trial for everyone. Especially for those who have to grow up faster due to war. Sokka thought his path was clear. Keep his sister and tribe safe. Be a man and warrior his dad would be proud of. But then he finds a stranded girl. And then his sister finds a boy trapped in ice, and his path turns out to not be as straight-forward as he had thought.
Relationships: Sokka/Original Character
Kudos: 1





	1. The Arrival of the Yellow-Haired Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

The Arrival of the Yellow-haired Girl

It was midday. I had spent my morning up until now tracking a herd of buffalo-yaks. I wasn't far from the village, but the freshly fallen snow from last night's storm was impeding my travel. Hopefully, the buffalo-yaks would be struggling similarly. Squatting down to study an imprint in the snow, I took in a lung full of icy cold air. The air always tasted better after a snowfall. It was crisper; fresher. The imprint in the snow was in the shape of a buffalo-yak hoof, and there was more all around. Judging by its depth, the herd wasn't far. I was on the right track. Smiling to myself about the funny word pun I had just made, I stood back up to keep moving. I was hopeful that I would be able to bring down a fully grown buffalo-yak. Just one would provide my village with enough meat to last about a month if it was properly cured. Any unwanted fat could be used to make soap or used to grease weapons. And I've seen Gran-gran use it as a salve for cracked skin or as a lip balm. The fur was much needed with its many possibilities. It could be made into blankets, tarps, and clothes. I knew of a couple of kids who were outgrowing their coats. The bones and organs wouldn't be wasted either. I could use a dried and cleaned buffalo-yak bladder to make a waterskin. Katara has been asking for one. And the women could use the bones to make beads for their hair and toys for the kids.

I thought of all the goods a buffalo-yak could bring as I neared the shoreline. I wasn't surprised that I'd follow the herd here. Most herds head to the coast during the summer months. I don't know why. It was just their habit. But I was grateful to know the tricks of my homeland. We didn't use to hunt buffalo-yaks. Not when they could be caught and trained to be beasts of burden. The females were good for milk too. But after the men left to aid the Earth kingdom, we suffered a harsh winter. The buffalo-yaks that lived amongst us had to be sacrificed for food and resources. And the needs of my people haven't lessened since then.

When my footing started to become more rocky than snowy, I crouched behind a boulder. The herd shouldn't be far and I didn't want to alert them to my presence until I had my spear ready. Now, would be the best time to analyze my surroundings before proceeding. Dad had always said that only fools act without a plan.

I look left and then right; not expecting to see much other than snow, rocks, and water. The herd is ahead of me. My village is behind me. There are no other settlements near us, and we haven't encountered any travelers since before the first Fire Nation raid. I was alone.

And yet, I ended up looking left again when a beaming reflection of light hit me in the eye. I raised a hand over my eyebrows to shadow my gaze. I wasn't worried. With so much ice and snow, it wasn't uncommon for light to bounce off the frozen waters' shiny surfaces. But still, caution was important. Especially because the whole tribe is dependent on me to hunt for them since all the men had gone to war.

Surveying the shore, it didn't take me long to find the cause. There! About five yards away was a…. was a girl! My breath hitched in my throat as my eyes widened and I lowered my hand. How is she here? The girl was lying face down on the beach that was more gravel than sand with her lower half still in the water. And her arms lay in awkward angles as if she had no say in their placement. On one of her wrists gleamed a metal of sort of bracelet. That's what had drawn my attention.

Buffalo-yaks forgotten, I stood up from behind the boulder. Prior to Dad leaving, prior to the Fire Nation attacking; I would have rushed forward to aid the stranger that had washed up on our borders. But misfortune had taught me to be suspicious. If they weren't from a water tribe, they were more likely to be dangerous. The girl appeared to be unconscious, judging by her stillness. But I poised my spear to be in a perfect impaling position as I approached. I moved quietly at the start; keeping my weight evenly split between my footsteps. But noise became less and less of a concern the closer I got. This girl was so pale, that she nearly blended in with the snow; like there was no life in her. How long had she been in the water?

Once I was close enough to touch, I decided that this girl was in no state to suddenly jump up and charge at me. I kneeled and laid my spear next to my right foot. Being this close, I could now see details that I couldn't before. Her hair was matted with clumps of seaweed mixed in. And the ends of it looked singed. Fire Nation, was my immediate thought. My suspicions were confirmed when I spotted the only color on her skin. Angry red welts and inflamed blisters littered her arms. This girl had been badly burned. Another Fire Nation victim. Her clothes were another thing that was weird. She was only wearing what seemed to be loose pants that ended above the knee and a sleeveless top. By water tribe standards, it was indecent. The fabric of both was thin and unlike anything I had ever seen before. But I knew they didn't offer any protection against the elements of the South Pole. I let out a deep sigh, now more sad than suspicious. She looked like she had suffered much and I was certain I was looking at a corpse. The girl looked to be close to my age, and she was pretty in a weird sort of way with icicles forming in her ragged yellow-hair and the strange pallor of her skin. Maybe I thought so because it had been a long time since I had last seen a girl in my age group. My sister didn't count. But there were still unanswered questions. The girl looked like she had been attacked by a firebender. Was a Fire Nation ship nearby? If not, how had she gotten to the South Pole? A shipwrecked trading vessel maybe?

I took off my right glove as I steeled myself for a job I didn't want to do. I needed to confirm that she was dead. Then I could release her body back to the sea, as was the custom amongst my people. It didn't make sense to me, but they believed that when we die and got sent to the sea our souls were freed to journey to the spirit world. After that, I'd put off hunting to search for signs of a shipwreck. We didn't get many ships up at the South Pole. Even less after the first time the Fire Nation raided our village. But it does happen. And I need to know if there were any other potential survivors, and whether or not they were traders or Fire Nation soldiers.

With another deep breath, I placed two fingers on the girl's neck; at her pulse point. I became completely taken back when I felt a faint thump-thump. "Holy La!" I exclaimed, using the water spirit's name as I withdrew my hand as if I had been shocked. A heartbeat. A dangerously slow heartbeat, but still it was there. How was she alive? No one should be alive with skin that colorless. Especially after being exposed to freezing water and being dressed in so little. She didn't even have any shoes! Still, setting the impossibilities aside, I moved on instinct. I shoved my glove back on my bare hand before digging my arms under the girl's armpits; praying that it was just her arms that were injured as I dragged her legs out of the water. I didn't want to make it worse. But, as a South Pole local, I knew the biggest threat to her life right now was her lack of body heat.

Next, I pulled my coat off from over my head. There wasn't much I could do for her outside of the village I didn't have any supplies to make a fire or block out the frigid wind. If there was any chance of saving this girl, I had to get her back to the village without letting her get any colder. Hopefully, Gran-gran could help. I worked to wrestle my coat on over her head; lifting her and rolling her whenever I had to. It wouldn't get her warm. Especially when she was wet. But maybe my second-hand body heat would buy her some time. I didn't bother trying to get her arms into the sleeves. As long as she was unconscious, she wouldn't be able to move them anyway. That completed, I stood up and left my spear on the ground. I could come back for it later. I worked fast to pick up the strange yellow-haired girl; grunting under the strain as I maneuvered her on my shoulder. In her waterlogged state, she was heavy. Heavier than Katara at any rate. But I could manage. I had too.

I made it back to the village in record haste. And for the first time in a while, I wasn't disappointed in myself for coming back without food to feed my people. Not when the only thing I could think about was the fading life I was carrying. As soon as I crossed the village's threshold, I was greeted with gasps and questioning stares as the women noticed the limp form in my grasp. It had been an age since we last had a stranger amongst us, and they weren't particularly welcome. But I paid them no mind. I, as the oldest male in the village, would have to address them with the facts about who I had found eventually, but right now the important thing was getting this girl to Gran-gran.

It only took a handful of steps before I was stepping through the entrance flap of my family's tent. "Gran-gran", I said urgently to the old woman on the inside who was stirring stew over her hearth. She turned around slowly. Obviously not understanding my panic. But she froze and her eyes grew large once she saw what I was carrying. "Sokka, what-", She tried to ask.

But I was already speaking before she could finish. "I found her on the shore", I said as I walked over to my bed and squatted to lay the girl down amongst my furs. "I thought she was dead, but she has a pulse!" I felt like I was speaking faster than I ever had before.

Gran-gran dropped her ladle in the cauldron of stew and left it to simmer as she hurried over to investigate the matter herself. Her face was skeptical as she peered down at the girl. Probably thinking the same things I had first thought. Who was she? Why did she look so... foreign? What had happened to her? And that was without Gran-gran seeing the burns on her arms. "Are you sure you felt a heartbeat?" Gran-gran asked softly as if she was about to deliver bad news.

I nodded my head so fast that it hurt. "Please Gran-gran", I said as I reached out and grabbed her wrist with my gloved hand. "See for yourself", I pleaded as I gently tugged until Gran-gran's gnarly old knuckles touched the girl's neck. I was taking a leap of faith by assuming that the girl hadn't perished in the time it had taken to get from the shore to here.

Gran-gran sighed but formed her hand into a position to take a pulse. I let go of her, but I didn't step back as I waited to hear Gran-gran's verdict.

I didn't have to wait long. In seconds, Gran-gran's face changed from foreboding to shocked to determined. "Sokka", she barked; having entered into full-on healer mode. "Go find your sister. Tell her I need her help. Then gather all the tiger-seal blubber the tribe can spare. We're going to need a big fire to get this child warm".

I didn't need to be told twice. Bolting out of the Tapiq, I yelled out Katara's name, not caring that I was still coatless. I had a job to do and limited time.

* * *

With the arrival of the foreign-looking girl, I lost my bed and had to make do with a bedroll laid out next to the hearth for warmth. This bothered me some. I worked all day. I should get to sleep in my own bed. But I was the one that had placed the yellow-haired girl where she currently lays. I couldn't exactly kick her out of it. Especially when she still wasn't awake. Days passed and the girl didn't stir. She remained cocooned in my bed and furs with only her face visible. The only exception was when Gran-gran would change the dressings on girl's burns. Gran-gran barely left our home as the yellow-haired girl took up her time; constantly checking that she was breathing and that the tent's cooking fire remained lit to offer warmth. But there really wasn't a whole lot Gran-gran could do. The girl's burns and blisters had been treated, her singed and ratted hair had been cleaned. Gran-gran and Katara hadn't been able to save most of it. The burnt parts had to be cut and the knots with clumps of seaweed tied in were so close to her scalp that it was near impossible for Katara to comb out. They ended up shearing off the knotted clumps of hair. Leaving the yellow-haired girl with locks as short as a year-old baby. I had never seen a girl with hair that short before. The women of the water tribe let their hair grow and kept it pulled back to make it manageable. I hoped the yellow-haired girl's culture wasn't similar. Because she'd be unhappy when she woke.

I wanted to spend more time in the tent with my strange discovery and think about all the questions I wanted to ask. But just because there was an enigma living in my tent didn't mean that all my responsibilities vanished. So, my days were as busy as ever as I tried to make sure that everyone has a functioning roof and food to eat. But my evenings were filled with staring at the girl as Katara and Gran-gran took turns spooning fishy broth and pouring sips of water down her throat. Every night, Gran-gran told me that there was a chance that the girl would pass beyond our reach. But even morning her heartbeat could still be found. I went out hunting after than first day. I found my spear that luckily hadn't been buried in the snow. As I looked for signs of the buffalo-yak herd once more, I kept my eyes open for signs of a shipwreck or other foreigners but there was nothing. Making it seem like the girl I had found had just swum into existence. I wouldn't be able to get any answers to my question until the girl woke and I could ask them myself. And boy, did I have questions. So many that I probably forgot one every time I came up with a new one. One question that I wasn't worried about forgetting was about the girl's strange bracelet. Gran-gran had shown it to me after I had been allowed back inside after I had first brought the yellow-haired girl into Gran-gran's care. Only the rim of the top was metal; the part that had reflected the light that had caught my attention. It surrounded some sort of glass. At least, it felt like glass, but I couldn't see through it. Its surface was black. It was so ugly that I no longer thought it was jewelry, but I couldn't figure out its purpose. So, what was it? The part that was used to fasten it to her wrist was made of something that I had never seen or felt before. It was solid and bent like leather except it was purple and I could almost see through it. Whatever it was, it was something that couldn't be made in the South Pole. I kept the ugly looking bracelet with my fishing gear; adding it to the list of things I wanted answers on.

On the third day following the yellow-haired girl's arrival, I finally found some time and a reason to stay inside my family's tent. Katara had been begging for time to practice her waterbending, and finally, Gran-gran and I relented just to get her to stop asking. Then Gran-gran got called to the home of a mother of two young boys how needed her medicinal knowledge. Gran-gran didn't want to leave the yellow-haired girl alone. Stating she didn't want her to wake up in an empty tent. I offered to stay. The meat I had brought back yesterday would last us a while, I had nothing around the village that needed to be done today, and there was weapon maintenance that I could do inside. So Gran-gran left, leaving me with instructions to try to get water into the girl ever so often.

As soon as the tent flap closed behind Gran-gran, I looked at the yellow-haired girl expectantly. As if just my presence and no one else's was what was needed for her to wake up and answer all my questions. But when a minute passed with me staring at her and she remained unmoving, I shook my head and ran a hand down my face. Foolish. Of course, it wouldn't work like that. So, I set up to work on the floor; laying out my spearheads and arrowheads, my whetting stone, and everything else I needed to care for my weapons. This was something that Dad had taught me at a young age. It was something that we did to occupy our time during the dark season. But now that it was just me, I had to do it more frequently to keep up with everything. The job was boring; having to do the same thing over and over again, and it was hard to stay still for so long. But a small part of me enjoyed it because I didn't have to think as I work.

I made it through two and a half spearheads before I heard a muffled groan. I almost ignored it. Whoever it was; it wasn't my problem. I dealt with hunting, security, and village repairs. Helping with bodily complaints wasn't a job I was responsible for. But then I remembered why I was sitting in the tent and not Gran-gran. I snapped my head up and turned to look in the direction of my bed. The yellow-haired girl! Her head just moved! Dropping the spearhead, I climbed to my feet. It only took two steps before I was at her bedside, and I was just in time as she groaned again. Her eyes blinked open groggily; revealing unfocused brown pupils. It was a relief to not see the amber-ish eye color of the Fire Nation. But her brown eyes didn't tell me where she was from. Just that her origins weren't obvious. She blinked again and wrinkled her nose as she started to shift around under all my furs. It must feel weird to wake up after a long period of time. Maybe her arms and legs still felt asleep. I bet there felt heavy at any rate. "You're awake," I said even though I didn't really know what to say. "You've been asleep for at least three days". I wanted to let every question I had pour out of me like a waterfall, but I knew that it would be a waste of time if she wasn't able to pay attention yet.

Her eyes darted around as she unseeingly took in her surroundings; the thick furs she was laying on, the dirt of the floor that wasn't covered by weaved rugs we made from buffalo-yak fiber wool, and the lit hearth emitting smoke that floated out of the opening in the tent's ceiling. Until her eyes settled back on me. Her pale-yellow brows got pulled into a slant as if she was thinking but the thoughts were arriving at a glacial pace. "I found you on the shore", I said to help her brain start working. "You were half frozen. If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead". I wanted her to know exactly what I had done for her. I wanted her to see me as the man that saved her life. As the only girl close to my age who I wasn't related to, I wanted to make a good impression. That is if she didn't end up being a threat once she fully recovered.

The girl mumbled something that was too muffled to make sense. She winced as she started to try to sit up. "Don't", I said as I reached out to stop her. "Your arms were badly burned. I'm not sure if you should be putting weight on them". The yellow-haired girl blinked up at me again. This time her eyes grew bigger as alarm started to set in and she left her sleepy state behind. She opened her mouth as her lips started to form a word. But instead of vocalizing it, a hoarse cough came out that had her turning her head away from me. "Water", I said as I moved away to fetch one of the jugs we used to store our drinking water. Of course, she'd need water before she would be able to answer my questions. "Don't move", I called over my shoulder as I grabbed the first water jug that I saw. "I'll be right there".

My heart was beating fast. This was the first exciting thing to happen in a while. The first exciting thing and hopefully a good thing to happen in a while. It didn't take me long to return to the yellow-haired girl. But in the second I had been away, she had managed to free her bandaged arms out from under her cocoon of furs, and she had pushed herself into an upright position; staring at the bandages with a look of horror. Had she forgotten that she had been burned? I asked myself as I knelt next to my bed. "Here", I said as I uncorked the jug and raised it to the strange girl's lips. She flinched back when the jug got close to her face, but a survival need must have taken over, because not a second later she was taking long gulps of water. With one of her hands reaching up and resting on top of one of mine. When she was satisfied, the girl lightly pushed against my hand, signifying that I could take the jug away. I did as the girl let out a big breath of air. One that had her shoulders heaving. "Can you tell me your name?" I asked as I set the jug on the floor next to me. "What happened to you?" I asked as I looked back up. The girl was staring at me again; eyes just as wide as before. Like I was just as much of a mystery to her as she was to me. "Was it the Fire Nation?" I continued to throw out questions. Once I was certain that she wouldn't cause trouble or hardship for my tribe, I could answer her questions. She must have some too. I mean, I would if I woke up in a stranger's tent. "How did you end up in the ocean?"

I chose then to pause; to give the yellow-haired girl time to answer. A moment passed in silence as we just stared at each other. Me, with a look of expectance. And her with a combination of confusion and fear. I guess I had asked a lot of questions without much restraint. But I've been waiting three days to get answers! I shifted impatiently as the girl slowly opened her mouth again. This time the sounds that came out of her mouth were clear and carefully pronounced, but still, they didn't make any sense. Like a string of consonants without any vowels or pauses. She had spoken gibberish, without me understanding a single thing. "Um…" I said after she closed her mouth. "What?"

* * *

By the time Katara came back from her waterbending practice, I had tried to communicate with the yellow-haired girl by miming, talking louder, using a lot of hand gestures that didn't really explain anything, and talking very very slowly. Maybe she had damaged her hearing when she had been in the ocean too long, or maybe she was just stupid. Either way, I was getting frustrated when nothing worked. I had waited days to learn about this stranger and now she couldn't tell me anything. All she did was sit in my bed, give her gibberish responses, and stare at me with fearful eyes that looked ready to tear up. "She's awake!" Katara exclaimed when she entered the tent. I turned to look at my sister, frowning as she pulled off her gloves and rushed forward to sit next to me on the floor. "I'm Katara", she said once she was settled, haphazardly dropping her gloves in the process. "It's good to see you awake. We weren't sure you'd make it". My sister smiled at the yellow-haired girl as she waited for a response. But there was no change. The yellow-haired girl was now staring at the two of us, but there was no comprehension in her expression.

I huffed and rested my chin in the palm of my hand as I balanced my elbow on my knee. I thought this was my chance to finally have someone my own age to talk to. That the water spirit, if he actually existed, had finally taken pity on me. But instead, I got a weak and helpless girl that didn't understand anything. Couldn't even thank me for saving her life. Katara looked towards me when it became clear to her that the yellow-haired girl wasn't going to answer. "Sokka, what did you do?" She asked, voice accusing.

I sputtered as I sat up and started gesturing with my hands. "Me! I didn't do anything. She just woke up and doesn't seem to understand anything!"

Katara narrowed her eyes. She pointed a finger at me and poked me in the chest. "All I know is that we left you alone with her, and when I got back, she's awake and looks like she's about to cry", she said gesturing to the yellow-haired girl who had moved further back into my bed when we had started to raise our voices. "You said something rude to her, didn't you?"

I threw my hands up into the air; ignoring the yellow-haired girl when she flinched. "It wouldn't matter if I had!", I argued. "She wouldn't have understood it. All she's said is a bunch of gibbering-nonsense".

Katara frowned at me, but when she looked back at the yellow-haired girl she was smiling. "Ignore my brother", she said. "He's loud but he's harmless". I huffed again. That was an insulting thing to say about a warrior. "It's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

The yellow-haired girl glanced at me as if she expected me to say something before her eyes focused on Katara. She opened her mouth again, and the same stream of nonsense constants sounds came out as before. Her voice trailed off at the end like she understood that we wouldn't understand her as she looked nervously between my sister and me. That was something, I suppose. At least, she knew that she wasn't making sense.

Katara didn't react right away. Probably because she didn't want to admit that I was right. Instead, she very calmly said, "huh? That's… different". I snorted. Different was a polite way of putting it. Katara wasn't deterred though. She placed her hand flat against her chest and made sure that the yellow-haired girl was looking at her before saying "Katara", and patting her chest. She repeated this a couple more times before gesturing to the girl. "What's your name?" She asked.

"You already tried that", I said with an eye roll.

Something seemed to resonate with the yellow-haired girl, however; because she sat up straighter. But when she tried to speak again, the same gibberish as before came out, except this time it was shorter.

"No", I said as I waved a hand in my sister's direction. "Her name is Katara". I drew out every symbol in my sister's name to emphasize the sounds.

The yellow-haired girl looked at me briefly with her lips pressed together before turning back to my sister. With a shaky bandaged hand that probably hurt to move, the girl pointed to my sister. "Katara", she said. She mispronounced the name, struggling with the 'ra' sound, but at least it was comprehensible. Then she pointed to herself, wincing a little in the process. She opened her mouth and… more gibberish. I sighed. Great. She could say one word. And not even a useful word that answered a single question. The yellow-haired girl repeated this a few times; point at Katara and saying her name before pointing at herself and saying gibberish.

"See", I said when she was done. "She doesn't understand anything".

"No", Katara said in a contemplative voice. "I think", Katara briefly paused before trying to repeat the girl's gibberish. "Is her name". I snorted again. Who would name their kid gibberish? "I think she speaks a different language".

"How?" I asked. I was still frustrated, but if Katara thought she had answers, I was willing to entertain them. "There's only one language. Water tribe, Earth Kingdom, and Fire nation; we all speak the same language?"

Katara rested her hand on her chin as she thought. The yellow-haired girl watching us carefully through the whole process. "I don't know". Katara admitted. "But she doesn't look like anyone from the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom. And we know she isn't from a water tribe. So, we have to assume that she's from somewhere else. We'll just have to teach her our language until she can tell us where that is".

"Great", I grumbled to myself. Here's another job for me to do.


	2. Life with the Yellow-haired Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

Life with the Yellow-haired Girl

The yellow-haired girl healed slowly in the weeks that followed. It became easier for her to move, and about a day after waking, Gran-gran decided that she was able-bodied enough to move about our tent freely. As she found her feet, the girl stumbled a few times; legs shaking as they became used to supporting her weight again after having been inactive for days. The girl walked cautiously like she was doing what she could to make sure she stayed out of our way as we went about our day. It didn't bother me much. Seeing as most of my time was spent away from the family tent. But I know Katara had been trying to actively involve the girl as she went about her chores. Both as a way to teach the yellow-haired girl our language and to give her something to do. It slowed Katara down, and I often came home to find her completing tasks that shouldn't have taken her very long to do. Katara said she didn't mind. That it was nice to have someone to work with. Even if the yellow-haired girl was more trouble than useful. But I didn't get it. The yellow-haired girl was a burden. She created more work. I get it that the girl would die if we didn't help her. I'm not saying that we should kick her out because after meeting her it was clear that she wasn't a danger to anyone. But we had enough problems to deal with. We didn't need anymore.

But I kept my thoughts to myself and spent more time than I usually did away from the village; hunting and fishing. And whenever someone asked me why I pointed out that I now had another mouth to feed. But with the dark months quickly approaching, I knew I couldn't avoid my family and the yellow-haired girl for much longer. As soon as the first winter storm hit, we'd all be trapped inside our tent for most of the time. Only going out when it was absolutely necessary.

By the time Gran-gran deemed that it was safe for the girl to go without bandages on her healing and now permanently discolored arms, the girl had learned all our names. Though the only name she managed to pronounce correctly every time was mine. I think it's because Sokka had one less syllable than Katara and because Gran-gran had elected to teach the girl to call her Gran-gran rather than Kanna. Saying that it would be less confusing for the girl since she heard Katara and I using that title. The yellow-haired girl had also learned the words for water, fish, and tent. It served as proof to Katara that the girl could learn. But I thought she was picking up on things rather slowly. How hard could it be to learn words?

She hadn't seen much of the village yet. Gran-gran didn't want her exposed to the cold so soon after recovering. We also didn't have any spare coats for her, so unless she was going to the outhouse, she remained within the cloth walls of our tent. It was just as well too because she was too tall for Katara's clothes to fit her properly. Meaning that she was wearing mine, and my people weren't accustomed to seeing a girl wearing a man's tunic. They already thought the yellow-haired girl was strange enough. She wouldn't be accepted here until she stopped being so… foreign. Gran-gran was working on making clothes for the girl. But she thought it was important that the girl learned to sew and also said it would help her regain dexterity in her fingers. So, it was slow going as Gran-gran tried to teach her without using words. A lot of time was wasted undoing the incorrect stitches the yellow-haired girl made so she could try again. I didn't see how any girl her age couldn't know how to sew. I thought it was something every girl did. It was one of the first things Mom had taught Katara. But this girl fumbled with the needle; as if she had never held one before. Even I was better than she was. And I only picked up a needle when I needed to fix a fishing net or patch a hole when on a hunting trip.

"Knife" Katara said as she held up one of Gran-gran's cooking knives for the yellow-haired girl to see.

"She doesn't know the word for knife yet", I asked, having just come in from teaching the younger boys. Both girls turned to look at me. The yellowed-haired with her usual blank expression, while Katara glared.

"She's learning a lot", Katara defended. All of us tried to avoid using the girl's gibberish sounding name whenever possible. Our tongues got tied whenever we tried. And the yellow-haired girl never seemed to recognize that we were calling her. So, to me at least, she remained the yellow-haired girl. "We worked on the laundry today, and she didn't need any help lighting the fire to boil the water", Katara said as if using flint was a great accomplishment. I rolled my eyes as I walked further in and sat down next to the girls. I know that it's nice for Katara to have someone to talk to whenever she wanted. Even if she's just having one-sided conversations. But it did irk me. I _was_ the one who found her.

"What's for dinner?" I asked as Katara put down the knife.

"Sea prune stew", Katara answered casually as she moved on to the next item in front of her. She picked up a comb made from tiger-seal bone and handed it to the yellow-haired girl. "Comb", Katara pronounced slowly.

"C-comb", the girl repeated.

"What happened to the fish I caught this morning?" I asked as the girl passed the comb back to Katara. She wouldn't have any use for it until her hair grew.

Katara placed the comb next to the knife and picked up one of my socks. A washed one, I'm assuming. "Gran-gran gave it to Sanna for her kids. They were sick and Gran-gran said they needed protein". I groaned and flopped down to the ground as Katara handed the yellow-haired girl my sock. "Sock", Katara said.

"I need meat!" I complained before the girl could mimic Katara.

Katara scoffed as the girl put the sock back down and climbed to her feet. For what? I have no idea. "I thought it was your duty to provide for the people in this village?" My sister asked, throwing my words back at me.

I reached up and ran both of my hands over my face. Can't a guy get a little rest? "It is", I answered; half-listening to the rustling sounds the yellow-haired girl was making on the other side of the tent. "But that doesn't mean I should have to go without every night!"

"Don't be dramatic. You like sea prune stew", Katara said.

I was going to point out that it was Dad who liked the stuff. I, on the other hand, was a connoisseur of meat! But before I could, the yellow-haired girl returned. "Sokka", she said in her strange accent. I removed my hands from my face to see her standing over me with a piece of blubbered seal jerky in her hand. How did she- Slowly I reached up and took it. She smiled at me before sitting down in her original place. Had she understood me?

"That was amazing!" Katara praised the yellow-haired girl Who just smiled in response. I don't think she knew exactly what Katara had said but recognized it as a compliment. "Sokka", Katara said as she turned in my direction. I had already stuck the blubbered seal jerky in my mouth and was lazily chewing it. "I didn't teach her any of that. She picked it up on her own!"

I turned my head just enough to shoot my sister an unimpressed look. "So, she can listen. Big whoop". But… it did feel nice to be heard.

* * *

The next day, I came home with a tiger-seal skin that had been curing in the village smokehouse. I had tracked down and killed the seal two weeks ago. And the skin was only finished today. I had wanted to use it to make the new winter gloves for the kids. They were always wearing them out or losing one. And if I lined the inside with fur Gran-gran wouldn't have to worry about treating frostbitten fingers this winter. But with the arrival of the yellow-haired girl who had nothing, new gloves for the kids were no longer a top priority.

Inside the tent, Gran-gran sat with the yellow-haired girl. That meant Katara was probably out waterbending. They were silent and neither of them looked up when I entered. They sat across from each other with the girl holding Gran-gran's left hand in both of her scarred ones. The girl's fingers were rubbing and smoothing Gran-gran's wrinkled skin. I squinted my eyes. Why was she doing that? Why was Gran-gran letting her? "What is she doing?" I asked; making myself known.

Gran-gran sighed; so relaxed that she didn't move as she answered me. "I don't know. But it's doing wonders for my arthritis".

Walking further in, I studied them as I dropped the skin to the floor. "How does she know the word for arthritis?" I asked.

"She doesn't," Gran-gran said as she pulled her left hand from the yellow-haired girl and gave her her right hand instead. The girl didn't seem to mind. She held on to Gran-gran's right hand with a smile and started rubbing it like she had been doing with the last; paying careful attention to Gran-gran's knuckles. "She noticed that my hands were bothering me when we were sewing her coat, and just started doing this".

Gran-gran explained as I squatted and spread the tiger-seal skin until it was lying flat on the ground without a single wrinkle. I guess it was good that the yellow-haired girl had some sort of skill she could bring to the table. Maybe she could learn some medicine stuff from Gran-gran once she could talk better and take over some of Gran-gran's work. I had to move a little to be able to grab some charcoal from the hearth. A risky thing to do when lit, but I'd been doing this for years. "Is she going to be done soon?" I asked as I returned to my position in front of the tiger-seal skin. "Cause I wanted to get started on this before dinner"

Gran-gran finally looked in my direction, and her peaceful look made me feel guilty for interrupting. Gran-gran was just as responsible for the village as I was. As the village elder, she was often called on to assist others on top of what she did for me, Katara, and now the yellow-haired girl. "And what is it you want to start?" She asked as she eyed the materials I had spread out in front of me.

I felt my face heat up. Ever since the girl woke, I had made my opinions about her using our resources. Even though I was really just annoyed that I wouldn't get to talk to another teenager like I had wanted. But this was different. This was something she needed if she was going to make it through her first winter in the South Pole. "She needs boots of her own", I admitted; looking away from Gran-gran. She'd had been using old boots that someone else had out-grown. But they were old. The fur lining was worn down, and the stitching used to make it waterproof was starting to break. Besides, we made our boots to be a custom fit for the original owner. So, the ones she had now weren't a comfortable fit.

"That is a good reason for us to stop", Gran-gran said. I looked up in time to see her gently turn her hand in the yellow-haired girl's grip until her hand was on top. The yellowed-haired girl looked up at Gran-gran with curiosity. Having gained the girl's attention, Gran-gran said slowly, "Go to Sokka, child". She moved her hand that was on top of the girl's, to point at me. "Call her, Sokka", Gran-gran told me. "Help her understand".

I sighed. It shouldn't be that confusing. Gran-gran was pointing at me. That should be clear enough. But I didn't what Gran-gran asked. Using my hand that was holding the charcoal, I gestured her to come closer. "over here", I said; my voice sounding half-hearted even to my ears. But the girl didn't seem to notice. She rose from her spot in front of Gran-gran and walked towards me using little steps. Like she was afraid of stepping on something. But she listened, and it wasn't long before she was standing near the edge of the tiger-seal skin; looking back and forth at Gran-gran and me like she was seeking confirmation that she had done what we wanted.

I nodded. "Put your foot here", I said, pointing to the spot on the tiger-seal skin that I wanted to use first. She didn't move. I sighed. Right. 'Foot' and 'here' were words she didn't know yet. With the hand that wasn't holding charcoal, I reached out and touched her sock-covered foot. "Foot", I repeated.

"F-foot", she mimicked; just like she does with Katara.

Gran-gran cackled to herself as she stood up. "I'll start dinner", she said. "Let me know if you need help".

I didn't answer Gran-gran. Instead, I grabbed the girl's ankle and pulled it until she picked it off the ground. She let out a small squeak as she fought to maintain her balance, but by the time she was steady, I had already placed her foot on the tiger-seal skin in the position that I wanted it. "Stay", I ordered gesturing my hand like I was pushing the air down. She seemed to understand at least that much because she didn't move. With the charcoal, I traced the outline of her foot; adding a little room to have enough skin to work with when I actually constructed the boots. Her feet seem to be about the same size as Katara's, but hers were just a little wider and she had high arches. When I was done with that foot, I waved her off the tiger-seal skin before saying, "other foot". She must have remembered the word for 'foot' and guessed the meaning of 'other' because there was only a half-second pause before she placed her second foot next to the outline for the first. Something inside of me swelled. Was this the same feeling Katara got every time the yellow-haired girl used a word that she had taught her? Whatever the feeling was, I brushed it off. I didn't mean anything. I was just doing my job as a provider.

Once I had traced her feet, I used my hands to measure how much of the skin I'd need to make the top part of the boots. I did this by place one of my hands on the back of her heel and then place my other hand above it to measure. The skin on her leg was smooth. Not like the ruined skin on her arms. I gulped and had to remind myself that I had a job to do and shouldn't be thinking about anything other than getting the correct measurements. I ended up lowering my top hand a bit. Looks like there are only a hand and a half-length between her heel and the bottom part of her calf. Keeping my hands together, I moved away from her and placed my hands on the tiger-skin. I stared at it for a while, to remember the length with my eyes, before moving one hand to grab the charcoal and draw a line. "You're done", I said to the yellow-haired girl once the line was drawn. I had all the information, I needed. But the girl didn't move. She continued to stand next to me; staring.

"How long until you are done with her boots?" Gran-gran asked from the opposite end of the tent.

"hmm", I thought to myself as I was already moving on to the next step. "About two or three days". That should be a doable timeline. Especially when considering everything else I had to do.

"Good", Gran-gran said with a nod of approval. "She should be finished sewing her coat by then too. Then you can take her with you the next time you go fishing".

That caught my attention, fast. "What?" I asked as I snapped my head up. The yellow-haired girl jumped back in alarm. "Why would I take her fishing? What good would that do?" I couldn't watch her and fish at the same time. What if she got lost or if I didn't catch anything? Either outcome lead to me getting blamed for not doing my job.

"Sokka", My Gran-gran said in warning. I took a deep breath. Gran-gran rarely got mad. But when she did, she'd put the fear of La into you. Seeing that I had calmed myself, Gran-gran's tone went back to normal. "I know you were hoping for a friend when you found this girl. And I know she's not what you expected. But she can still be a friend, just one you'll have put more effort into. Give her a chance. There are things you can teach her that she can't learn in the village".

I sighed but didn't argue. I was the one who brought the yellow-haired girl into our lives in the first place. So, I guess that means I am stuck with her. "Alright, Gran-gran. I'll take her fishing". Gran-gran smiled as the girl just blinked at us without any comprehension.

* * *

The yellow-haired girl was starting to look better now that she had her own coat and boots. She was less… sad looking. And just as I had promised Gran-gran, the day after she had both her coat and boots, I took her fishing. We left the village early in the morning when everyone else was just starting to cook their breakfast. But it was better to fish either early in the morning or near the end of the day, as that's when the fish would be looking for food themselves. I decided not to take a canoe out. The water was generally calm during this time of year, but I didn't want to bring up any bad memories for the yellow-haired girl by taking her out to sea. I had found her washed up on the shore, after all. And the last thing I needed was a weepy emotional female on my hands. Instead, we made the trek to a part of the sea just off the coastline that I knew was frozen solid. We'd go jigging. With winter approaching, soon this would be the only type of fishing my people and I could rely on. It wouldn't hurt for the yellow-haired girl to learn a bit about it. I kept my pace quick as we walked, and was surprised when the yellow-haired girl didn't complain once. Though I guess she doesn't have to words to complain… Still, even though she was slightly out of breath, the girl never lagged; she kept pushing forward. A couple of times, she slipped on patches of ice she hadn't seen; causing her to reach out and grab onto my sleeve to keep herself standing upright. The first time, it annoyed me. This was why I didn't want her to come with me. She'd only slow me down. But then it happened a second time. And then a third, and a fourth. Each time she didn't give up. She just found her balance and moved on. And I realized that if she wasn't going to complain, I couldn't either.

When we got to where I wanted to be, I had to make two trips across the ice. One to drop off my fishing gear and spear, and another to help the girl figure out how to walk on ice. It wasn't something that could really be explained; even if the yellow-haired girl could understand any explanation I could give her. Walking on ice was a skill that you had to learn by doing. It was something that everyone from a water tribe figured out at a young age. It was such a common part of our lives that we didn't even pause when stepping off the ground. But for someone who hadn't grown up here, it was like learning to walk all over again. I had her hold on to my elbows as I gripped her forearms. We made slow progress as we traversed the ice to what I had deemed as the best fishing spot. Once we got there, I let go of her arms and only had to wait a couple of seconds before she let go of mine. "This", I said, gesturing to my gear and ice under our feet. "Is jigging". I didn't wait for her to give a response, because I knew she would give one. Instead, I knelt down and took out my hunting knife to saw a square hole in the ice. The yellow-haired girl watched this whole process, making some sound in her gibberish language once I had finished cutting and had removed the ice from my fishing hole. I looked up at her as I tossed the ice aside to see a look of understanding on her face; like she knew exactly what I was doing. "Do they fish like this where you're from?" I asked, before remembering that she wouldn't know what I was asking. Shaking my head, I put my knife back in exchange for my fish lure. "We use this", I said to her as I showed her the fake fish carved out of a rib bone attached to a toughly woven thread. "and make it swim around in the water like this", I explained through both words and action. The action was for her benefit as she watched me stick the fake fish into the hole and drag it through the water by the connecting thread. "It attracts the fish, and when they're close to the surface, I'll use my spear to catch them". Me using words was for my benefit, so I didn't have to spend the whole morning with this girl in silence.

But the girl pointed with the gloved hand to the spear lying next to me and said "spear?" Like she wanted to make sure she'd heard me correctly.

"I guess Katara taught you that word, huh?" I asked. But she didn't answer. Seems like she can only handle one word at a time. "Take this", I said gesturing to the thread in my hand. It took a couple of gestures before she knew what I wanted. But once she did understand, she didn't hesitate in taking the thread from me with both hands. "Keep pulling it back and forth", I said; moving her hands for her until she started to do it herself. "Good, just like that", I commented, even though I knew it didn't matter. I picked up my spear in my dominant hand, and we both peered into the square hole and waited… and waited…. and waited. This was always my least favorite part of fishing. When I used to go fishing with Dad, we'd pass the time by talking and swapping jokes. But it wasn't like I could do that with the yellow-haired girl.

So, the waiting continued in silence. I remained ready to spear at fish at any moment as the girl continued to pull the fish lure around in the water. Occasionally, I would feel her eyes on me. Like she wanted to make sure that she was using the lure right. But she didn't make any sounds, so I didn't have a reason to look at her. That is... until the waiting got to be too much for me. "Hey", I said without looking up from the hole in the ice. "Do you know why fish swim in schools?"

And of course, I didn't get a response.

"Because they can't walk", I delivered the punchline. Only then did I look up. She was staring at me; blinking with her usual vacant expression. But for some reason, at that moment, it cracked me up. I started laughing through my teeth. "What do you call a fish that won't shut up?" I asked between breaths.

Again, no response.

"A big-mouthed bass", I snorted; laughing at my own joke. The yellow-haired girl didn't get it. I knew she wouldn't. But seeing me crack up must have done something to her. Because a smile slowly started to grow on her face. "Why are fish so gullible?" I asked, pausing even though I didn't have to. "Because they fall for things hook, line, and sinker!" I laughed louder and harder. It's been a while since I last got to use these jokes. Katara hated them. It was only Dad how had appreciated my humor. Even though she didn't know what I was saying, the yellow-haired girl started giggling; finding my laughter contagious. The sound of her laugh was light and sweet. Kind of like the sound of otter-penguin chicks chirping. As we continued to laugh, I thought of something else that I didn't mind about the yellowed-haired girl being here. She couldn't tell me that my jokes weren't funny, and if I laughed hard enough, she might even join in. When the laughter died out and we both started staring into the hole in the ice again, I took a long breath. "I guess you're not so bad", I said.


	3. How the Yellow-haired Girl Got Her Name

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

How the Yellow-haired Girl Got Her Name

I ended up taking the yellowed-haired girl fishing a couple more times. Despite only being able to say a few words in our language, she wasn't bad company. She let me talk as much as I wanted without arguing or telling me I was wrong. And I could catch twice as much fish with her than I could on my own because there was another person to help carry things back to the village. Jigging also became easier with a person to handle the lure for me while I used the spear. The yellowed-haired girl was still more of a burden than anything else. With someone always needing to tell her what to do. But Gran-gran was right; I needed to give her a chance.

"First", I said as I held up one of the fish we had just brought back to the village. "You need to dunk the fish in the water", I said as I demonstrated what I meant. The yellow-haired girl was standing behind my shoulder, watching my every move as I held the fresh into a pot of water. "Rub it on both sides. And try to get all the icky sea stuff off the scales." I looked over my shoulder to see if the girl was following but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were locked in on the dead fish in my hands. I suppose that was good enough. Facing forward again, I placed the fish on one of the plate stones we used for gutting small game. Picking up my knife, I said, "then you need to remove the fins". I did this part quickly; starting with the dorsal fins, moving on to the tail, and finishing the underbelly fins. I was waiting for some sort of disgusted noise from the yellow-haired girl. Whenever one of the younger girls first learned how to do this chore, they always acted like it was the grossest thing ever. But the yellow-haired girl remained silent. Alright, I thought. Let's see how she does when I actually get to the fish's innards.

With the hand not holding the knife, I gripped the fish by its finless tail and lifted it a little. "Now you need to get rid of the scales", I explained as I the knife and started scrapping down fish with the blade. The scales looked like they were jumping into the air as they were detached by the knife. Still, the girl didn't react. Maybe this was something she had done before. "You're going to have to do this a couple of times", I said as I flipped the fish over to do the other side.

Once I had the fish free of scales, I laid it flat on the gutting rock again. Turning slightly for the yellow-haired girl to see, I showed her how I was gripping the knife. "You'll need to hold it close to the blade, with one finger on top to keep it steady". The yellow-haired girl blinked at me, but she didn't look as lost as she normally does. Turning back to the fish, I grabbed it by its tail again. "Start at the tail", I said as I dug the tip of the knife into the fish's underside. "And pull towards the head". I performed the actions as I talked and soon there was a gaping hole in the fish's belly with its guts threatening to spill out. I looked over my shoulder. The Yellow-haired girl was still watching; her nose was scrunched up and her lips pressed together. But she made no noise. I was a little impressed. Usually, girls squealed at this part. Katara had when she had first learned. But I guess the yellow-haired girl was older than the girls we normally taught this skill to. I let go of my knife as I moved over to an empty pot. "Use your hand to clean out the guts", I said as I did; making sure that I felt all around the inside of the fish to make a good example. The red and pink guts spilled into the empty pot with little ka-plunking sounds and the fishy smell intensified. But I barely noticed it. This was a smell that I was very familiar with. We couldn't let the guts of kills lay on the ground. Not when the scent could attract wild polar-bear dogs. So, when the women treated the game inside the village, all guts and innards that we wouldn't use had to be carefully collected to be disposed of later.

"Now, you remove the head", I said as I laid the fish back down. My knife was sharp so I didn't have to saw it off. One quick chop was enough, and soon I was adding the head to the gut pot. Sometimes we'd cook the fish with its head still on. But since the fish we caught today was going to be salted for the dark season, it was better to just preserve the meat. There were more steps after removing the head, but this was all I wanted her to do for now. My goal was to make a sort of system with her. If she could do the parts that I just showed her, then I could do the rest and we'd be done in half the time. Of course, it was usually the women who gutted and filleted fish. But if the yellow-haired girl was going to remain amongst us she needed to learn this, and currently, the only people willing to work with her were me and my family. Everyone else in the village was still too alarmed by her unexplained appearance and suspicious of her lack of knowledge. Katara had laundry today, and Gran-gran was making house calls. So, that just left me. I scooted over a few inches to give the yellow-haired girl room to share the gutting stone with me. "Sit", I ordered; gesturing to the spot next to me. It took her a few seconds, but the girl did lower herself next to me; sitting properly with her legs together and feet pointed to the left. 'Sit' was a new word that the girl had learned. Katara had taught it to her a couple of nights ago, and Gran-gran had been correcting the girl until she started to sit like a woman ought to. Previously to that, the yellowed-hair girl had been sitting like a man with her legs crossed in front of her. I had to admit it. The strange girl was learning fast.

"Take a fish", I said as I pointed to the pile of freshly caught fish. She seemed to understand as she did as I asked. I walked through all the steps again. Except this time, I had her hands under mine as we did the steps together. I had figured out during our fishing trips that this was the best way to teach her. By doing the action with her she learned exactly what I wanted her to, and if I talked she might pick up a few more words.

It didn't take to long go over the steps again. I spent most of that time correcting her grip on the knife. The last thing I needed was for the yellow-haired girl to accidentally slice her hand open. Gran-gran would blame me if that happened. The girl didn't try to pull her hands away from me once. She only flinched back the first time her hand came into contact with the fish's squishy organs. I watched her face as I helped her scoop out the bits that we couldn't use into the gut pot. She remained focused on her task, but her face twisted up and she turned a little green. At one point she turned her head away as she tried to swallow a gagging sound she was making, but once she recovered, she was looking at the half-gutted fish again. As soon as we had chopped off the head, I let go of her hands and watched. Would she get up and run away? Would she puke?

The yellow-haired girl did none of those things. Instead, she breathed deeply through her nose; like she was steeling herself. Before slowly reaching out to grab a new fish. I smiled, please with what I was seeing. The yellow-haired girl may not know anything, but at least she didn't shirk away from work. I watched her do the first two steps independently before picking up a new knife to fillet the fish we had already gutted. Maybe the winter wouldn't be so bad with the yellow-haired girl living with us.

I finished one fish when the toes of boots appeared in my line of sight. "Sokka", a woman said. Please don't tell me another igloo needs to be repaired. I thought as I looked up. It was Sanna, the woman whose kids needed protein. Her weathered face was wrinkled in worry. "Do you think it is a good idea for her to use a knife?", she asked; blue eyes darting over at the yellow-haired girl as she worked.

Sanna's question confused me as I turned to see what she saw. The yellowed-hair girl was working on severing the fins from the fish's body. She hadn't looked up when Sanna had approached; too busy concentrating on what she was doing. The girl was holding the knife as I had shown her. She was working slowly; still trying to figure out how much force she needed to use. But that was normal for beginners. Looking back at Sanna, I shrugged. "She hasn't cut herself yet".

"No, Sokka", Sanna said with a shake of her head. "What if she uses the knife to hurt someone? This girl is not like us. We can't trust her". Then I understood. The Fire Nation raids had scarred my people for life. Me included. Now anyone that wasn't water tribe was considered a menace. It didn't use to be this way. My dad used to tell me about when they used to travel to visit our sister tribes in the North. They would stop along different ports to trade with the Earth Kingdom. It was from them that we got most of our metal goods. And we'd greeted any travelers brave enough to sail this far south to rest at our hearths; eager to hear about the outside world. The Fire Nation had ruined guests for us.

It wasn't too long ago that I had looked at the yellow-haired girl like she was now; with distrust and suspicion. But now, as I watched the girl try so very hard to finish something as simple as gutting a fish. Handling a knife like how I would handle explosives. I couldn't see a threat. "Sanna", I said carefully as I looked back to the older woman; trying to sound like my dad when he was dealing with village matters. "I promise. The girl's not going to hurt anyone". Sanna frowned, suggesting that she didn't believe me. So, I tried again. "She has nothing. We're the only reason she's alive. She isn't going to hurt us". It was only after I said it, that I realized I believed it. The yellowed-haired girl was nothing to be scared of.

"Sokka", the girl called softly, causing both Sanna and me to look at her. Sanna's expression was less than friendly, but the girl didn't seem to notice as she held out a gutless and headless fish for me to see. I couldn't see any lingering scales, and while the slit in the fish's belly was a little jagged, it had been thoroughly cleaned out.

"Good job", I said; giving her a thumbs up. She was proving to be a lot easier to teach than the younger boys. It made me feel like I wasn't such a lousy teacher after all. The girl smiled like I had just given her an igloo of her very own. Her genuine want to please made me blush and for a brief moment, all I could focus on was her shiny unstained teeth. Without prompting, she set the fish down so I could fillet it, and grabbed a new one. I'd never seen a girl so happy to gut a fish before.

"So, that's it then?" Sanna said; voice sounding weary. I returned my gaze to her and waited for her to explain. If she was Katara or someone younger than me, I made some comments. But while I had more power as the only man in the village, Sanna was still my elder. If I was rude to her and Gran-gran found out, I'd get my ears boxed. "She's staying? You're going to adopt her into the tribe?"

It hadn't occurred to me until Sanna asked. But that decision was up to me. As stand-in chief, if I wanted to welcome a new person into our tribe I could. And it made sense too. The yellow-haired girl wouldn't be able to survive here on her own. Sure, maybe she would have been okay if she had woken up in the Earth Kingdom where it's warmer. But not here where we had permafrost. "Yeah", I answered after making a sudden decision. "She's going to become water tribe. As soon as I think of a good name for her".

* * *

"Gran-gran", I said quietly. We had just finished dinner and the girls were cleaning up. I could hear Katara saying words and waiting for the yellow-haired girl to repeat them back as they worked. Katara would find out soon what I was doing, but I wanted Gran-gran's opinion before I did anything. And I didn't need my sister's input as I figured out what I was going to do. Gran-gran looked at me from over the hearth with a slim screen of smoke between us. It was making her look wiser and elder-like than she normally does. "I want to adopt the girl into the tribe".

Gran-gran stared at me for a long moment. So long, that I started fidgeting, mentally kicking myself for it. Warriors don't fidget. Chiefs, even stand-in ones, didn't either. And yet, one look from my Gran-gran had me wiggling like a boy. "I think that is a good idea", she said after a moment. Her agreement was all I needed to start acting like a warrior again. "It will be a long time before she will have the words to tell us where she is from. And even then, it may be unsafe for her to return home. We should prepare ourselves and her for a future where she remains living amongst us". Return home? That hadn't occurred to me. When the girl had first woke up and we learned that her language was different from ours, I had forgotten that she must have a home somewhere. Somewhere other yellow-haired people lived and spoke in long streams of consonants. I had never heard of such a place, so I just assumed that the girl was the only one of her kind. Even though that didn't make sense. If the yellow-haired girl could go home one day, would she want to? The burns on her arms looked like she had been assaulted by a firebender. So maybe she didn't have a home to return to? There wasn't a way to ask her yet. And during the day she didn't act like she had anything heavy weighing on her shoulders; like a destroyed homeland. But sometimes at night, I'd wake up to the sounds of muffled crying. Once she had become healthy, the yellow-haired girl had started to share Katara's bed with her. So, my sister was the one who tried to comfort the strange girl at night. But nothing she did really worked. Not when the yellow-haired girl couldn't tell us what was wrong or what had happened to her. The idea of the yellow-haired girl possibly leaving one day caused a strange taste in my mouth that I couldn't figure out. But I didn't like it. Especially when I was just starting to like her presence. "You'll have to give her a name", Gran-gran said; breaking me out of my thoughts.

"I have one in mind", I promised. We were typically named after tribe members who had traveled to the spirit world. As a way to carry on our ancestors' legacies. But it was different for people who were adopted in. They were the start of their line and were typically given names that spoke of one of their traits or of a hope we had for them. "But how do I do it?" I asked Gran-gran. "How do I make it…. Official?" The southern water tribes weren't known for our ceremonies. That was more of a Northern water tribe thing. But we did small things for important events; kids coming of age, marriages, and adoptions.

"The same way we bless babies", Gran-gran answered. "You'll draw the symbol for water on her forehead and give her a name".

That's it? I blinked. That's easy. "I can do that".

Gran-gran smiled with her mouth closed. "I know you can, my grandson".

"What should I use to draw on her head?"

Gran-gran had an answer for that too. "Traditionally, we used blood. But your warrior paint will work". Gran-gran looked over to where the girls had finished cleaning and had moved on to Katara bending water from a small bowl as the yellow-haired girl watched; mystified. Maybe she's never saw waterbending before coming here. "Katara", Gran-gran called. "Please bring her over here".

"Why?" Katara asked as she looked up; letting the water fall back into the bowl. It splashed a little upon impact, causing the yellow-haired girl to flinch back in an effort to avoid the little droplets.

"Sokka is going to adopt her into our tribe", Gran-gran answered like this was something I did every day.

"Now?" I asked, surprised.

Gran-gran shrugged. "Why not? You said you had a name in mind. Making her a member of the water tribe will give her the same rights and protections of the other women. And we are already living like a family, might as well make it official". Gran-gran explained her reasoning; a sparkle in her eye. Why do I get the feeling that I had just played into her hand?

"That's a great idea!" Katara said as she grabbed the yellow-haired girl's hand; pulling both of them to their feet.

"Uh", I stuttered as the girls were suddenly standing next to me. Okay…. I guess we're doing this now. "Can you get my warrior paint?" I asked Katara. For once, she nodded and did what I asked without making some comment about how I should get it myself. Probably only because it was something that would benefit the yellow-haired girl. While Katara did that, I gestured to the spot next to me. "Sit?" I asked the yellow-haired girl.

Just like when we had been gutting fish, it took her a few seconds before she was sinking down next to me. She looked between Gran-gran and I like she was trying to use our expressions to figure out what was going on. I didn't try to explain. There was no way I could pantomime what I was about to do for the yellow-haired girl to understand. Katara came back with grey paint in hand. "Thanks", I said as I took it from her. Katara smiled before she turned to sit next to Gran-gran on the other side of the hearth. The yellowed-haired girl watched her get settled before looking back at me. She eyed the paint in my hand in a way that spoke of mild unease. But she seemed to trust us enough to allow me to do what I was about to do because she didn't move.

I smiled at her, trying to show that this wasn't a big deal. But it was shaky. I was starting to feel nervous for some stupid reason. Dipping my index finger in the paint, I reached up and slowly drew the first swirl of the water symbol on her forehead. She shivered at first, not expecting the feel the cold paint touching her skin. But when I drew the next line she remained still. It didn't take long and soon I was setting the paint down. I leaned forward and blew on the newly painted mark to help it dry. "You're Kaya". I said after I leaned back.

"K-Kaya", The yellow-haired girl repeated slowly and quieted.

I grabbed her wrist and placed her hand over her chest. "Kaya", I said again. Then I moved her hand again so that she was touching my chest. "Sokka", I said to help her understand. I repeated the process a few more times until comprehension lit up in her brown eyes. "Your name is Kaya", I finished. I dropped her hand and looked over at Gran-gran and Katara. Both were smiling.


	4. The Winter Months

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

The Winter Months

"Once there were two igloos combined by a shared wall with an opening so that the occupants may visit both". Gran-gran said. The dark season had arrived, and with it came heavy storms of snow and sleet. Our work became limited and our days shorten. Activities were restricted to chores that could be done sitting around the hearth and listening to the tales of the past. "Two people were living in one of the combined igloos while a full family lived in the other." Already I could feel my eyes dropping. This story was one of Gran-gran's favorites. She told it every year. I had heard it so often, that it was hard to pay attention to. Katara didn't have that problem. She shares Gran-gran's love for our people's traditions and cleaved onto every word. I just didn't understand why we couldn't come up with new stories. "The larger group had water in their igloo. The smaller group had no water". And then there's Kaya. Not used to dark filled days, she moved groggily at the start of the season but she adapted. Gran-gran's stories must be more difficult for her to sit through than they are for me, considering that she didn't know enough words to really understand what Gran-gran was talking about. "The two living together were brothers while the family was made up of a grandfather and his grandchildren who had lost their parents". While Katara sat close to Gran-gran; eagerly awaiting every word, Kaya was next to me on the other side of the hearth. She was laying on her stomach, her side pressed against my thigh for extra warmth as she worked on darning one of Gran-gran's socks. A skill that the yellow-haired girl had only recently required. She was slow at it; having spent all day on this chore and she often got her fingers tangled in the thread. But at least it gave her something to do. "The older brother wanted a drink of water so he asked his brother to get him some from the family next door. The younger brother agreed and as he crossed into the other igloo, he said, 'I have come for a bit of water for my brother'. The old man said, 'Help yourself to water on the floor, but first remove your tunic before dipping in'. The grandfather spoke quietly for all of his grandchildren were pretending to be asleep in their beds", Gran-gran continued as the fire cracked and I fought a yawn. "The boy obediently removed his tunic. But as he started to get water, the grandchildren saw the younger brother's bare chest. They jumped out of bed and onto the younger brother; cutting him with their long fingernails and eating his flesh". I winced. I always did at this part of the story. I could never figure out why Gran-gran liked it so much. "When the boy felt awful pain from their fingernails he started to cry calling to his older brother, 'These children are monsters!'" Kaya looked up when Gran-gran changed her voice to match what was happening in the story. Her eyes studied Gran-gran, before turning to an enraptured Katara, and then to me. We locked eyes and did nothing but stare for a moment until Kaya smiled and turned her focus back to the sock she was holding. For a second, I forgot that it was winter. "The big brother came immediately to the rescue; holding a big hunting knife in his hand. He cut off the grandchildren's noses with one strike, leaving them to hang loosely by the skin", Gran-gran paused to take a breath. "And that is why, we don't ask strangers for water", she finished.

I rolled my eyes. "Last time you told that story, you said, 'that is why we don't combine our homes with strangers'", I complained. Gran-gran liked to change the morals of her stories every year. Which wouldn't be a bad thing if the stories changed as well.

"I liked it", Katara broke in.

"You always like Gran-gran's stories". I argued as Gran-gran smiled to herself; sitting back to watch Katara and I verbally spar. "You even liked that one about the flying polar bear-dog".

"I was five", Katara retorted. As if age was an excuse to have bad taste.

* * *

The wind was howling, and visibility was poor as I worked on bringing fresh fish to different families' hearths. It hadn't been snowing this morning. It was the first break we've had in days. The opportunity couldn't be wasted, especially since it met that we could stretch out the food we had preserved for a longer length of time. So, with my gear in hand, I had set out early to try my luck at fishing. This time, I didn't take Kaya with me. While the girl had adapted surprisingly well to our way of life, she wasn't surefooted on ice or snow and I didn't want to watch her attempt to trudge through the winter landscape.

Fishing wasn't a complete success. I had managed to catch some, but not enough for every hearth in the village to have a fresh catch. It was tempting to stay outside of the Village and fish longer. But when my nose started to burn from being so cold and the tips of my fingers started to go numb, despite my gloves, I knew I had to turn back with what little I had. It was lucky that I had headed back when I did. Not even halfway home and the wind had picked up, bring more snowfall with it. I made the decision to disperse the fish to the families with the youngest children. Knowing that it was harder to keep little bellies satisfied during the winter months than it was for the people who had survived many winters before. Even though that meant that my family wouldn't have anything fresh to eat. Sanna and her boys got the last one and then I was hurrying to enter my family's tent. The only thing I wanted at that moment was to sit close to the fire and eat something warm.

No one welcomed me as I slipped through the entrance of our tent and secured the flap behind me. Gran-gran was telling another one of her stories and Katara was too enthralled to interrupt her to give me her usual greeting. But Kaya looked over her shoulder at the sound of my approach and smiled. This time she did not have any small tasks set up before her as Gran-gran told her tales. No socks to darn or spearheads to sharpen. She must be bored, I thought as I set my fishing gear near a wall of the tent before stepping closer to the warmth of the hearth. Listening to Gran-gran talk for hours already wasn't that exciting, but imagine doing that when you don't understand most of the words spoken. Although, who knows? Maybe Kaya could understand more than she could say. I continued to think as I sat cross-legged next to the yellowed-haired girl on her side of the hearth and started to pull my coat off from over my head. It had gotten a bit wet with the fresh snowfall, so I had to make sure it dried otherwise I wouldn't be able to leave the tent to get any work done tomorrow. Coats aren't normally worn inside tents anyway. The fabric of our tents are thick and does a good job of keeping the heat trapped inside. But Kaya tends to keep hers on; always feeling the cold.

"She had a lovely top-knot, that used to be her tail. When the man saw her in human flesh for the first time, he thought she was very beautiful". I rolled my eyes as I picked up on the story Gran-gran was telling tonight. The man who married a fox. I did my best to keep silent as I laid my coat out flat in the last free spot next to the fire. Katara must have picked this one. Gran-gran preferred the tales that held a word of warning. While Katara always preferred the girly lovey-dovey mush. "For a moon, the man and the fox appeared to be very happy together as he hunted and she cooked", Gran-gran continued. As soon as I had finished with my coat, a bowl of steaming stewed sea prunes and a slab of salted fish were pushed into my hands. I accepted them but fumbled slightly as I tried to keep my grip on both. "But the fox started to talk about traveling, and living amongst other people. So, they wandered until they found a village and settled down amongst its people".

As soon as I was sure I wouldn't drop the food I had been given, I looked up to see Kaya. She was still smiling; seemingly pleased that I had accepted the food she had given me. Not that she had given me much of a choice. Still, food was what I wanted. I nodded my thanks before sticking the fish in my mouth and let hang from my teeth as I cradled the bowl with both of my hands, letting it warm them.

"This village was well suited to the man and the fox because one of the villagers also had an animal for a bride that had taken human form; an artic rabbit", Gran-gran said. And around my mouthful of food, I started to remember this story. Maybe Katara hadn't chosen this one if it has the type of ending, I am thinking of. "The two men decided to change wives to see if one suited them better than the other. However, the villager who now had the fox found that he did not like her as much as the hare. She smelled and wasn't nearly as sweet as the rabbit had been".

Kaya had turned back to face Gran-gran and was copying Katara's posture as they listened to the story. But I knew she couldn't really be paying attention. We definitively hadn't taught her the words for wives or fox…. She might know the words for the artic rabbit. I think we had that for dinner one night before the dark season hit. "This angered the fox because she believed that she was desirable to all men. So, in the dead of night she ran away; going inland to a place where man rarely ventured".

Once I had eaten all the salted fish I had been given, I moved on to the stew. I took big gulps of the broth with the bowl raised to my lips. It felt good as the warmth trickled down my throat. As I did this my eyes kept glancing over to the yellow-haired girl. Her hair had grown back. It wasn't at a girl-long length yet. But long enough that Katara had been able to pull it into a small ponytail. The strands of her hair that were still too short for this remained free to frame the girl's face. And… I think it looks nice. "The man who had originally taken her to be his wife, was distraught because he was fond of her even though he also enjoyed his time with the rabbit. So, he left the village to search for the fox. He searched for many years but never found her. And the man never settled down again". Gran-gran finished with her hands relaxed in her lap. She took her time as she looks at all of us in turn. Spending more time on Katara and me than on Kaya. "And what does this story teach us?" She asked.

Katara answers first. "That are men are fickle", she said in indignation with her hands placed on her hips. I roll my eyes, my action is hidden by the bowl I am drinking from. Soon there will be no broth left and I'll have to eat the sea prunes.

"That is one interpretation", Gran-gran said, sounding amused. But she doesn't allow Katara time to give an explanation about why she's right. Instead, Gran-gran's eyes swing over to me. "What about you, Sokka? What do you think the message is?"

I take my time to swallow and lower my bowl before answering. Gran-gran usually doesn't ask us what we think during storytime. She's happy to tell us what meaning she found in the tales as is her right as our elder. But now she's staring at me, with something twinkling in her eyes that I can't decipher. She has a reason for telling this story and asking us this question, and I can't figure out why. I don't like it. Briefly, my eyes find Kaya again before flickering back to Gran-gran. The yellow-haired girl isn't paying attention to any of us. Instead, she's running her finger around on the ground like she's drawing something. Lucky. I wish I didn't have to listen to Gran-gran's stories. "I think it means that when you find something good, don't assume you'll find something better".

A pleased grin grows slowly across Gran-gran's wrinkled face. She's acting as if I had just passed some type of test. I have an inkling about what that test had been about, but… I glance back over to an oblivious Kaya. I'm not sure I like what Gran-gran is hinting at. Kaya's nice. And she never complains (not that she knows how to) or avoids work. She helps Gran-gran with the chores that are starting to become too much for the old woman and Katara likes having her around. The rest of the village is still not too sure about the strange girl with the yellow hair, but she was the first person in my age-group that I had gotten to be with in a long time. She was also the only girl around my age that I had seen in a long time. Kaya and I were the only two teenagers in the south pole. Gran-gran probably reasoned, and I did too, that if things didn't change, I'd only have one option. If the men don't come home and traders don't visit our shores again; bringing with them new people and opportunities, there would only be one person I could build a life with. There was no one else. Katara was my sister and all the other girls in the village were at least a decade younger than me. When I looked at Kaya, I was most likely looking at my future wife.

When you find something good, don't assume you'll find something better. I repeated in my head as I went back to eating. But was Kaya the fox or the artic rabbit?

* * *

Work Cited

U. (n.d.). Eskimo Folk-Tales (1025110693 786920528 K. Rasmussen, Ed.; 1025110695 786920528 W. Worster, Trans.). Retrieved November 02, 2020, from.


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